Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 41 No. 3, 2002.
Case report
Vitamin Supplementation in Disease Prevention
Iva Ratković-Gusić
Vanja Bašić-Kes
Petar Kes
Abstract
Vitamins are chemically unrelated organic compounds or families of organic compounds that are essential for normal metabolism in humans. As vitamins cannot be synthesized by a human body, they have to be taken in small amounts in the diet to prevent metabolic disorders. Vitamins should be distinguished from other .food supplements, minerals and herbs, which are also taken in small amounts as alternatives or supplements to drugs. Mild deficiencies in several vitamins, at levels below those causing classic vitamin deficiency syndromes (e.g., scurvy or pellagra) are risk factors for chronic degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and osteoporosis. Data on vitamin supplementation to prevent chronic diseases are reviewed.
Keywords
Vitamins - administration and dosage; Dietary supplements; Nutrition policy; Chronic diseases - prevention and control
Hrčak ID:
14741
URI
Publication date:
2.9.2002.
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